26 - Sunday, March 13, 1994 - North Shore News.

Family has many meanings

Emily Murphy House offers shelter from violent storins

AT EMILY Murphy House, the only transition house for battered women and children on the North Shore, we meet and talk with hundreds of women and children each year.

By Carol Ward-Hali Contributing Writer

-We see how much pain is caused by families not functioning well.

Every day we watch courageous women rebuilding their lives and the lives of their families. ~ « But what constitutes a family in 19942:

‘ There are many different config-

urations. Mother, father, and 2.2

children does not accurately

describe many Canadian families.

A family can be a mother and chil-

dren, a father and children, grand-

parents and children, lesbian and gay couples and children, friends and their children. sharing a proper- ty, blended families, older and

young single people sharing a

house or. apartment, group homes

for teens and for the mentally and physically challenged. A “family” means not being

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alone; it means having people to care for, who care about you.

Itcan also be an “extended fam- ily” if you are single or alienated or isolated from your biological fami- ly. lt is a group of individuals who may not live together, but over time, develop strong bonds and who support and care for one another. They get together for holi- days. birthdays and other important occasions and form a “family” net- work.

A family, in whatever form it may take, is very imzortant to have. It means we have roots, meaning, something that is constant to us and is there when we need it. It is some- thing we “belong” to and give love and time to.

Unless you have experienced the

loss of family, it may be hard to 1elate to how important having one is. Having “family” and “meaning” in our lives is often the reason for living, working, planning. playing, and continuing to try in life.

In 1994, if you have what you need in the way of family, you are very lucky — cherish it. If not, take

‘time to think about what you need,

how you. can get it. What do you have to do to build a family? It takes time, but the effort is well worth it.

All of us should take time to

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remember others, to include other people in the things we do: encour- age your children to include others in their play — extend your family. Give the gift of caring.

In this multicultural mosaic that is Canada, reach out and acknowl- edge one another. “Family” can mean this also.

In this Year of the Family, build “family” wherever and however you can. Who knows — it could revolutionize the world!

At Emily Murphy House, we have to turn away two people for every one we can shelter. In this Year of the Family, we will be moving to a larger, wheelchair- accessible shelter. We will continue in our mission to end violence towards women and children and to help people to build violence-free lives.

new shelter.

If you would like to contribute to building healthy, non-violent families, please send your donation to the North Shore Crisis Services Society at 3095 Lonsdale Ave.. North Vancouver. BC. V7N 3J6 or

* call 987-1773.

Carol Ward-Hall is the Executive Director of the North Shore Crisis Services Saciery.

ONLY 5 MINUTES FROM 2ND NARROWS at » 4550 Lougheed Hwy. at Willingdon

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We hope you’ve

-heard how avzstressfal

we try to make it for

you when you visit a

Saturn showroom. (Because who needs more stress, right?) Anyway, we take the same approach to leas- ing as we do to every- thing else. So if leasing a Saturn is better for

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(and we can help you figure that out),

ea then great. The.

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Join us Thursday, March 17th at Eaton's Park Royal store for

a fun-filled trip down memory lane. Take a nostalgic stroll along our main floor display and relive 125 years or history. Enjoy the sweet sounds of the "Metro Seniors Swing Band". You might even meet Timothy Eaton himself.

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S60, *1535 down:

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There will be many commemorative items to see and purchase. You can enter the Eaton's trivia contest to win one of three $125.00 Eaton's Gift Certificates.

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